As we hap
pened to be wandering around Park Lane last Friday, we took the opportunity to take a quick look around London's revamped Four Seasons Hotel before the hordes descended. The hotel, which has just reopened after 2 years and £125m worth of renovations, looks marvellous. What with this and the recently reopened Savoy (both of which, happen to have been overseen by the same designer, Pierre-Yves Rochon, to utterly different effect) we're frankly spoiled for hot hotel offerings in London.
To be honest, we hadn't set foot inside the Four Seasons London before, but by all accounts the transformation is total. Walls have been moved, interiors gutted and the whole of the top floor will be a swanky spa opening in March.
What interested us of course, was the restaurant and bar offering. Amaranto, as it's known, is a fluid all-day dining and drinking space. In practice, that means you can choose to take tea on the terrace (when the weather bucks up), sip an Amarantini in the ox blood red bar, dine in the restaurant or take a leisurely brunch in the lounge area.
The executive chef in charge is Adriano Cavagnini who comes to London from the Hotel Eden in Rome. He's being ably assisted by former Locanda Locatelli and Brunello at the Baglioni Hotel Davide Degiovanni. And the Head Barman has come from about 50 yards down the road at China Tang at the Dorchester.
We particularly liked the sound of the hotel's Italian afternoon tea which includes such delights as bottoncini with parma ham and robiola, baby raisin and candied fruit panettone and cannolo siciliano. Both the Italian and English teas are £32. We'd certainly be interested in trying the Italian one, if only for novelty's sake, although the English Tea at the same price does include raisin and fig scones and coffee and Dulce Du Leche eclairs. Decisions, decisions.
